From the Desk of Carolyn Dean MD ND
If you’ve been getting your magnesium advice from Dr. Google or social media “influencers”, let’s get the real facts from a medical doctor and naturopath who’s researched magnesium for more than 30 years.
My work comparing different forms of magnesium supplements led me to one unavoidable conclusion: most commonly recommended magnesium compounds come with a laxative effect—making it impossible to achieve the therapeutic levels your body needs.
From my unique, scientific perspective as a magnesium deficient MD, inventor, and researcher, I had to develop my own non-laxative, picometer, stabilized ion of magnesium to finally correct my own deficiency.
What Dr. Google or an MD might say about types of magnesium:
I’m including social media influencers here because unfortunately, many people are trusting these self-proclaimed “experts” for health advice.
The first comment I was hit with, written by a doctor from Harvard Health Publishing online:
“There’s no compelling reason to routinely take a magnesium supplement. …Most people are fine without paying too much attention to their magnesium status. If you have concerns about whether you’re getting enough magnesium and whether you should take a supplement, ask your doctor about it. But don’t be surprised if you get some familiar advice: Choose a healthy, well-balanced diet. Your body will take care of the rest.”¹
My comment: YIKES!
That advice ignores the real problem: magnesium is essential in 800 enzyme processes in the body and most people are severely deficient, so of their 800 enzymatic processes are operating at a massive disadvantage.
Virtually no magnesium exists in the majority of farmland in the U.S. and therefore there is almost none in the food supply. A “balanced diet” will not correct your magnesium deficiency to a therapeutic level. Ever.
The magnesium trend
The same Harvard article that discounts magnesium further diminishes its importance with the headline, “magnesium seems to be having a moment”.
I guess he’s referring to online influencers who are pushing their favorite type of magnesium matching each to different symptoms. Here’s a partial list:
Magnesium oxide: for relief from constipation and indigestion.
Magnesium taurate: to help control blood sugar and mood and may help blood pressure
Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts): for muscle soreness
Magnesium L-threonate: may reduce anxiety and support cognitive function.
Magnesium glycinate: calming for stress and anxiety and may help sleep.\
They even opine about the best time of day to take each different magnesium, as if your body even cares.
Be careful of the influencers
The absence of accurate advice from doctors and Dr. Google has opened the door to a gaggle of online influencers, armed with misinformation who are guiding people to misuse magnesium. As a result, people are not getting therapeutic results.
Led to believe that each form of magnesium targets a different function in the body, people are scrambling to take several forms of magnesium to match their symptoms.
While mainstream sources caution you not to exceed the RDA (recommended dietary allowance) of 320 mg/day for women and 420 mg/ day for men. I caution you against taking less than 600 mg/day if you want real results.
The truth about magnesium compounds
All these “different” forms of magnesium are simply magnesium ions that are bound to another element (like taurate, chloride, oxide, glycinate, etc.). When bound to other substances, magnesium becomes an inactive magnesium complex. In order to join in and support biochemical processes, magnesium must be converted back into free magnesium ions before your body can use it.
The form of chemically bound magnesium is really inconsequential because the ONLY form of magnesium that your biological system can use is active magnesium ions. Not a compound and certainly not 10 or 12 different compounds.
That’s why I developed a stabilized ion of magnesium – magnesium in its active form, fully absorbable at the cellular level, without triggering the intestines to flush it out. This is the only form your cells actually need.
These stabilized magnesium ions are ready to support your body’s 700-800 metabolic processes. This is the only form of magnesium that your cells need. You see, your cells aren’t looking for a magnesium compound, they are looking for a magnesium ion.
You can read my book, The Magnesium Miracle for more details.
Your body dumps what it can’t use
Taking magnesium oxide as an example: only 4% of a dose is absorbed into your body. The rest is dumped through the intestines, creating diarrhea. Online “experts” are spinning that to mean that this compound can be used to treat constipation. You’re getting few magnesium benefits from taking magnesium oxide. And you’re probably disrupting your microbiome by the strong flushing action of this compound.
Magnesium can only be useful at a therapeutic, cellular level if it can be absorbed into your cells but it’s virtually impossible to achieve a therapeutic dose with these compounds that are not absorbable.
The therapeutic dosage is important. In the past, for my heart palpitations and leg cramps, I would have had to take about 10 magnesium taurate capsules (125 mg each) to get any relief. However, I’d get the laxative effect after one capsule. While there may be exceptions, most people can’t tolerate a therapeutic dose of any of the magnesium compounds being promoted online. That’s why I had to invent my own form of magnesium.
The right magnesium will do all the jobs
The information about specific compounds of magnesium targeting specific symptoms in the body is simply incorrect. The only meaningful difference among the many compounds is that some have higher levels of absorbable magnesium than others. Some compounds, like magnesium glycinate may be able to address anxiety or sleep problems for some people because more magnesium can be absorbed before the laxative effect kicks in.
In The Magnesium Miracle I share details about the 65 health conditions that research has shown to be associated with magnesium deficiency. One type of magnesium, in its picometer stabilized ionic form can provide support for all 65 conditions.
Debunking the magnesium L-threonate claim
Marketers of magnesium L-threonate often claim it’s the only form that crosses the blood-brain barrier. That’s false. All magnesiums can work at the neuronal level.
The claim is based on a rat study showing just a 7% higher brain magnesium level after 24 days of taking Mg L’threonate compared to other compounds.
And while the label might boast 2,000 mg of magnesium L-threonate, it actually delivers only 144 mg of elemental magnesium in three capsules vs. the 150 mg of elemental magnesium in a 1/2 dose of picometer, stabilized ion form!!
What you can do to get the magnesium your body needs
Your magnesium should be in the picometer, stabilized ion form. And the dose should be around 600mg per day. This liquid magnesium is diluted in a liter of sea-salted water and sipped throughout the day. Magnesium is necessary for the proper function of 80% of known metabolic functions.
The best way to proceed is to call our wonderful Customer Experience Team to help build a healthy protocol that you can depend on.
Carolyn Dean MD ND
The Doctor of the Future
